Perfect Timing
by Team Sunny
Summary: It's been three months since the events of Sonic Rivals 2, and Espio can't stop thinking about his new friend, the enigmatic white hedgehog with the amazing powers. Unbeknownst to him, Silver can't stop thinking about his new friend either. May contain romantic Silvespio. Spoilers for the story of Sonic Rivals 2.
1. Chapter 1

_"Be safe, Silver."_

 _"You too, Espio."_

Those were the last words they had spoken to each other, and for some reason, Espio the Chameleon couldn't get them out of his head. Nor could he get out of his mind the image of that white hedgehog who had displayed amazing powers far beyond anything Espio had ever seen before. He had seen hedgehogs with superspeed, animals who could fly using their tails or ears, and even an echidna who could easily match a crocodile twice his size in a battle of strength. But he had never before seen anyone do the things that Silver did.

Suddenly, Espio felt a sharp pinch on his arm and automatically pulled it back. "Ow!" he snapped, glaring. "What are you doing?!"

Charmy Bee, who was hovering at the chameleon's eye level, gave a shrug. "I've been calling your name nonstop for the last two minutes," he complained. "I had to get your attention SOMEHOW."

"So you pinched me?" Espio demanded, reaching for a kunai blade. "What are you, a toddler?"

Charmy just grinned annoyingly. "Catch me if you can."

With that, he turned and flew off as fast as he could.

Espio flung the kunai blade anyway. It stuck into the wall with a loud thunk noise, just centimetres short of where Charmy had been.

"Missed!" Charmy sang triumphantly, before disappearing upstairs.

A little concerned that Charmy apparently thought the chameleon had been aiming to actually hit him with the sharp blade, Espio sighed and stood up, stretching his stiff limbs. He was supposed to have been meditating for the last hour but he had allowed his thoughts to stray so much that he had eventually given up on it and simply allowed himself to daydream about Silver, as embarrassing as that was. Thankfully, though both of them had noticed that something was different about the chameleon, neither Vector nor Charmy had guessed exactly what was on his mind. He wasn't sure what he'd do if they ever did.

As he was heading over to the jobs board at the back of the room, he heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. He kept silent as he perused the board, not looking away even when he heard the voice of his boss, Vector the Crocodile: "Hey, Espio, remember that lady who hired us to find her nephew the other day?"

"Mhm," responded Espio, not entirely engaging in the conversation.

"Well, the payment she promised us hasn't come in yet. You're gonna go out and get it for us."

Espio glanced sideways at the crocodile, narrowing his eyes. "Why me?"

"Because Charmy would spend all the money before he got it here and I'm way overdue for a nap," Vector responded immediately. "See ya later."

Before the chameleon could protest again, Vector had disappeared back upstairs.

Sighing, Espio fetched the money bag from the counter and tucked it into his satchel, which he slung over his shoulder. As he left the house, he could already hear snoring coming from upstairs. He rolled his eyes. For as long as Espio had known him, Vector had only really loved two things: naps and money. The question of which he loved more had always been a topic of conversation between Espio and Charmy. Now, it appeared the answer was becoming clear.

It took less than an hour to make it to the former client's house and receive their payment. To Espio's relief, the former client was very cooperative and apologetic, handing over every penny she had promised the detective agency, plus a bit extra for taking so long to come through on the payment.

Pleased, Espio then began the walk back through the forest, his mind back on the mission that he and Silver had shared. He wondered what this world would look like if the Ifrit had been unleashed on it. Probably something along the lines of what Silver's old future looked like. In which case, it was very lucky that Espio and Silver had managed to defeat the beast before it could get through the portal.

He gave an involuntary shiver as he recalled the fate of Eggman Nega in the other world. He could still hardly believe he and Silver had left the evil madman behind in a realm of fire. His own cold words _("you reap what you sow, Eggman Nega")_ echoed in his mind. _Was I really that heartless…?_

Espio quickly banished those thoughts from his mind. He may have been the one to say those harsh words but Silver didn't object. Both of them had left the other world together. They had both made the conscious decision to leave the evil scientist behind. And besides, Eggman Nega wouldn't have thought twice about leaving the hedgehog and the chameleon behind if the roles had been reversed. In fact, perhaps it was better that Eggman Nega was still stuck in that realm; there, he couldn't do any damage to the future anymore.

 _Speaking of which, I wonder if Silver's new future is a happy one,_ Espio thought. _We stopped the Ifrit and defeated both Eggmans, so I don't see why it wouldn't be, unless a new threat rose in the Ifrit's place._ He gave a small smile. _I hope he's happy, wherever he is. He deserves it._

That was when Espio became aware of a presence behind him. He warily continued on, not looking back, but was soon stopped by a large bear in front of him. This time, he glanced behind him and found a ragged-looking raccoon. To his left and right were two identical bulldogs, making four animals in all.

"Can I help you?" the chameleon asked softly, knowing exactly what they wanted.

"What's in the bag?" demanded the raccoon roughly.

Espio's grip on his satchel tightened. "Nothing of your concern."

The bear gave a snorting laugh. "Something tells us it's money," he growled. "And we want it."

The chameleon slowly began sliding a kunai out of his sheath. "And if I don't cooperate?"

"If you don't…?" The bear looked taken aback. "You're outnumbered, chameleon. And I'm three times your size. I _suggest_ you cooperate."

As the bear took a step closer to him, Espio reacted. He flung a kunai blade at the approaching bear and then dodged a clumsy strike from the raccoon, all while keeping the satchel in place. The two bulldogs then attacked but Espio again dodged their strikes and turned invisible, intending to escape under this cover.

But he wasn't counting on the enraged bear swiping at his last location with its big paws. Espio grunted as he felt pain explode from his leg, tripping him onto his face. He clapped his hand to his lower leg and found blood from three red claw marks there. The pain was so bad that spots were beginning to dance in front of his vision.

Unfortunately, that blow had severed his concentration and rendered him visible again, which meant all four animals were converging on him. He clutched the satchel tightly to his chest with one hand and kept his other hand round his injury, glaring fiercely at his attackers. If he was going to die, he would die with dignity.

Sharp teeth gleaming, the bear attacked.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Be safe, Silver."_

 _"You too, Espio."_

Silver the Hedgehog tossed a stone into the pond, the last words they had spoken to each other echoing inside his head. _Really? That was all I said? "You too"?_ Then he had just...left? Why hadn't he said more? He HAD told Espio that he was grateful for the chameleon's help, but Silver couldn't shake the feeling that he should have said more. He should have expressed just how much he appreciated Espio's help. When he'd first arrived in the past, he hadn't even thought about finding an ally. It had never even crossed his mind that he would find someone who would actually want to help him. But now, with hindsight, he doubted he would have been able to complete his mission without Espio. Then he wouldn't be sitting here right now, with such a beautiful world around him.

He picked up another stone and flung it into the pond. He was fascinated by such a simple experience; he had never had the time to just sit by a body of water and throw stones into it. In fact, neither of those things had existed in the previous future. The only thing that HAD existed was...fire. A thing that he was still forcing himself to not attack right now. The fire wasn't his enemy anymore, and he had to get used to that. It would be hard; ever since he was born, he had been fighting the flames in some way or another. It was odd to be able to sit down without fear of attack. That was something else he would have to get used to.

"Silver?"

The hedgehog jerked so hard that he almost fell into the pond. It took him a few seconds to recognise the voice, but when he did, he sighed and said, "Hey, Blaze."

The purple cat put her hands on her hips and chuckled. "What a nice hello."

"You gave me a fright," the hedgehog complained. "You know you can't sneak up on me nowadays."

"Nowadays?" snorted Blaze, before her face slowly turned serious. "Silver, you've been on edge for weeks. Look around you." She spread her arms wide. "This is paradise compared to what we're used to. Don't just sit here: go and enjoy it."

Silver scowled for a moment, before sighing again and turning his gaze back to the pond. "I'm sorry, Blaze. I don't know what's wrong with me. I've been trying to enjoy this new world but...it's been hard. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do if I'm not fighting. All this peaceful stuff...doesn't seem real to me. It doesn't interest me. Not in the way being a warrior did."

He glanced back up at his friend and was surprised to find her nodding. "I know exactly how you feel," she said. "I'm still struggling to get used to being able to go for a walk or go to sleep without being 100% alert at all times. If the peaceful stuff doesn't interest you at the moment, maybe it's because you're trying to do it on your own. Maybe you should find someone to be peaceful with. Someone you care about."

Silver thought about this for a moment, before leaping to his feet. "I know someone who can teach me how to be peaceful!" he exclaimed, his voice quivering with excitement. "And then I can come back and teach you!"

Blaze chuckled fondly at her friend's sudden enthusiasm. "Sounds good, Silver."

The hedgehog dashed back to his house and ran up the stairs so fast he almost tripped over. He uncovered the two Chaos Emeralds hidden in his fur pockets and stood rigidly in the middle of the room, holding one Chaos Emerald in each hand. Taking a deep breath, he called out, "Chaos Control!"

Immediately, he felt the already familiar pull of Chaos as he was transported from one time to another. He closed his eyes to concentrate on fighting the nausea.

When he felt his insides settle, he opened his eyes to find himself in a forest. He wasn't entirely sure where he was, so he levitated onto a tree branch to get a better look around. It looked like a normal forest with normal trees to him, with no identifying features at all. Not that he knew this time well enough to be able to distinguish one forest from another even if they did all look unique.

Just as he activated his powers to get him back down the ground, he heard a loud growl, which caused him to spin round so sharply that he almost fell out of the tree. His heart grew cold as he spotted a large bear, two bulldogs, and a raccoon ganging up on a figure who was huddled against a tree a little way off. Without thinking, he reactivated his powers and zoomed down to the ground in front of the figure. Before the assailants could react, Silver used his telekinesis to violently push them all over.

"Pick on someone your own size!" he yelled at them.

"S-Silver?!"

Silver turned his head and his breath immediately caught in his throat. "Espio?!"

The purple chameleon looked exactly the same as when Silver had last seen him, apart from a bloody clawmark down his leg. This wound filled Silver with rage and he turned back to the four animals, who were climbing to their feet. He had intended to just take the person and get out of there, but now that he knew it was Espio whom they were attacking, he had to make sure they never messed with his friend again.

He lifted his hand palm-up. Instantly, the four animals rose slowly off the ground, surrounded by a white energy field. They all gave growls or yells of anger, but Silver tightened his fist and they all fell silent as they felt themselves be squeezed by the white energy.

"If you EVER even look at my friend again, I'll make you wish you were never born," snarled the hedgehog. "GOT IT?"

He didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he drew his arm back and used his powers to throw the four animals away through the trees. Silver waited until he heard them all land, before turning back to Espio, who was leaning back against the tree with his eyes closed.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

The chameleon nodded slowly, finally loosening his grip on the satchel around his shoulders. "What are you doing here?" he rasped. "I thought you went back to your time."

"I did, but I just wanted to…" Silver trailed off, then shook his head. "Nevermind. Let me take you back home; where do you live?"

Espio opened his mouth to argue but all that came out was a suppressed wince of pain, so he gave up trying to protest. "I'll direct you."

As Silver helped Espio to his feet, the same thought was running through both of their minds:

 _This is not how I expected our reunion to go..._


	3. Chapter 3

Silver leapt to his feet as the door to the Chaotix Detective Agency opened. Espio had passed out just before they had reached the building, so Silver had been forced to leave his friend in the hands of Vector the Crocodile and Charmy Bee. Not wanting to impose or get in the way, the hedgehog had stayed outside the house in case he would be allowed to see the chameleon later. But he had been there so long that he had begun to fall asleep until the crocodile opened the door and found him still waiting outside the house.

"Who exactly are you?" Vector inquired.

"Silver. I'm Espio's friend." Silver gave a respectful nod. "I was the one who brought him here after he got hurt."

"S-Silver…?!" An expression of panic seemed to flitter across the crocodile's face for a brief instant, but it was gone just as soon as it had appeared. "Oh. Well, thanks a lot for helping Espio out."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Silver asked worriedly.

Vector nodded. "We bandaged up his leg and he's resting now. He's gonna be fine."

Silver let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. Is it okay if I see him now?"

"Sure, he's right upstairs."

Vector stood aside and allowed Silver to step into the house. The hedgehog made his way awkwardly up the stairs, avoiding looking at Charmy, who was sitting on the sofa downstairs, and headed into the room with the open door.

Espio was lying on the bed by the window, looking rather pale. White bandages stained with blood were wrapped around his injured leg. His eyes were closed, but he stirred as Silver approached the bed.

Eventually, his eyes slowly opened and fixed on the hedgehog. He gave a weak smile and attempted humour: "I bet you didn't anticipate rescuing me being the way we met again."

Silver chuckled. "Strangely, I didn't. How are you feeling?"

"My leg is a little numb and I have a bit of a headache." Espio lifted his hand to his head. "But I'm alive, thanks to you."

"Hey, I bet you could have taken them on your own," Silver teased. "Even with your leg sliced half open."

"You're a lot more jokey now than you were three months ago," Espio observed. "Last time we met, you were really serious and ready to fight anyone who came your way."

"Yeah, well, I had a mission last time," Silver muttered. "Last time, I had the fate of the entire world on my shoulders."

"And…?" Espio couldn't stop hopefulness from creeping into his voice. "Did our mission succeed? Is the future a good one?"

Silver smiled. "Yes. It's a very good future. Full of happiness, hope, and prosperity."

Espio matched his smile, his entire body relaxing unconsciously. "And you're happy with it?"

"Of course. There is no fire creature destroying anything anymore, there is no death or destruction anymore. The sky is blue, the grass is green, and people are safe. It's...everything I could have ever hoped for."

"But…?" prompted Espio.

"But what?"

"It just seems like you're not entirely happy. I'm sorry if I was wrong in my observations."

"No, you're…" Silver hesitated, before sighing. "...you're right. It just seems like my life lacks meaning now. Before we stopped the Ifrit, I knew exactly what my purpose was: to fight the flames and protect my people. I was a warrior. But now, there's nothing for me at home. Except going for walks, relaxing, and just...living life. My friends have all gotten used to it now but I haven't. I don't know what to do with myself if I'm not fighting."

Espio regarded his friend with a curious expression. "It seems to me that you just don't know how to relax."

The hedgehog chuckled. "You're right again. Ever since I can remember, I've been either training to fight or actually fighting. I've never had time for anything else."

"Well, maybe I could help you learn," Espio offered. "If you were to stick around for a while, I could show you what a domestic life is like. Of course, my life isn't all domestic," he added amusedly. "Living with Vector and Charmy is an adventure in itself, not to mention the occasional cases we pick up."

"Cases, huh." Silver finally allowed himself to sit down at the foot of the bed. "You never mentioned you were a detective."

"I know. It didn't come up while we were trying to save the world from a fire demon."

The two chuckled together at that.

"So what do you think?" Espio asked after a pause. "About staying here for a while, I mean."

Silver also paused, staring at the wall. "We did make a great team, didn't we?"

Espio grinned. "Yeah, we did. But I'd like to see if we continue to work well together as we get to know each other better."

"So would I. But where would I stay?"

"I'm sure we can find someone who'll let you stay with them," Espio replied. "I'd ask Vector if you could stay here, but we don't really have the space. And besides, I doubt either you or them would feel comfortable with you staying in this house for so long."

"Yeah, you're right…"

Espio chuckled almost involuntarily. "That being said, I would love to see the look on Vector's face when he sees how powerful you are. He'd probably demand you stay here forever."

Silver snickered. "As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll stick around for a few months and see if anything changes. I'll have to go back to my time at some point, though."

"But you'll still visit, right?" Espio asked softly. "Even just a few times a year?"

"Of course I'll visit. I already like this time far too much to stay away."

"Good. Good…" Espio leant back and closed his eyes.

A minute or so later, there was a knock at the door. "Come in," called Silver.

The door opened and Vector peered round the frame. "Everything okay?"

Silver nodded. "I think Espio's asleep, and I'll be going soon." He slid off the bed and made his way to the door, glancing back at the chameleon, who didn't stir. "Tell him I said goodbye," he said to Vector.

The crocodile nodded. "I will. Thanks again for saving him."

"No problem."

Silver made his way down the stairs, wondering where he could stay. _It should be somewhere nearby,_ he thought. _Otherwise, that would defeat the point of trying out a domestic life._ But even though Espio wasn't the only person Silver knew in this time, he was the only person with whom Silver was friendly. Unless he made a new friend in the next day, he would have nowhere to go except back to his own time.

When he got outside, he started heading in the direction of the forest. But just as he got there, he heard a whispering voice call his name. He spun round sharply but he couldn't see anybody there.

A few seconds later, the voice called his name again, so he followed the sound. It seemed to be leading him to the floating island in the sky. Activating his powers allowed Silver to follow it all the way up to the island, where he found a very tall altar with steps leading up to the top.

"Silver," the voice called again, sounding much closer this time.

Silver began to slowly ascend the stairs, a cold kind of nervous anticipation spreading throughout his body.

 **…**

 **This ending sets up a new story ('** Alone But Not Alone **') that will be posted shortly.**


End file.
